Excel is software developed by Microsoft Corporation which allows the user to use formulas in calculating, formatting, and organizing data. It has a spreadsheet that is composed of columns and rows where the data will be inputted. Excel software is included in the package of the Microsoft Excel and is usually compatible with any other Microsoft products. The statistical functions used in Excel allows the user to do simple statistical computations such as mean, median, and mode to the more complex computations such as probability tests. However, some of these Excel functions are not pre-installed in the earlier Excel versions.

Statistical Functions includes QUARTILE function which allows the user to return a quartile of given array. The syntax of QUARTILE function include:

=QUARTILE (array,quart)

…wherein the array argument numeric value where you like the value of quartile. The quart argument refers which you like the value returns.

If the value of quartile is 0 then the quartile will return to its minimum value. If the value of quartile is 1 then it will return to its first quartile or to its 25th percent. Quartile value of 2 will return the median value or to the 50th percentile. Third quartile or the 75th percentile will return if the value is 3. Lastly, if quartile value is 4 it will return to the maximum value.

Open an Excel spreadsheet or worksheet and input these following values in the specific cells. In cell A1 input the data 1, in cell A2 input the data 2, in cell A3 input the data 4, in cell A4 input the data 7, in cell A5 input the data 8, in cell A6 input the data 9, in cell A7 input the data 10, and in cell A8 input the data 12. Input the formula =QUARTILE (A2:A9, 1) wherein first quartile of data given above and the result will be 3.5.

The #NUM! errors will occur if the given array or value is empty. Also this error will occur if the quart argument is less than 0 (zero) or if the given quart argument is more than the value of 4.

Moreover, if the given quart argument isn’t an integer then it would be truncated. Also, when the quart value is equivalent to (zero), two, and fourespectively the MIN, MEDIA, and MAX will return to its same value.